Clinton Says ‘Zero-Sum’ Approach Won’t Work in South China Sea

July 12 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said today that a “zero-sum” approach to competing
claims in the South China Sea will only yield negative results.

“We recognize that a zero-sum approach in the Asia-Pacific
will lead only to negative-sum results,” Clinton said in Phnom
Penh, where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China
discussed a Code of Conduct for the oil-rich waters.

Clinton warned of rising tensions and urged Asean and China
to finalize an agreement that would help manage competing
claims. “No nation can fail to be concerned by the increase in
tensions, the uptick in confrontational rhetoric, and
disagreements over resource exploitation,” Clinton said.

When asked at a press conference about the stakes involved
if Asean and China fail to reach agreement, Clinton said,
“Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Earlier in the day, Clinton had urged the 10-member Asean
and China to consider cooperative arrangements to exploit
hydrocarbon resources in the waters. The decision-making process
would be collaborative instead of dominated by China alone,
according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak
publicly on the issue.

Measures “could include equitable joint exploration and
exploitation arrangements in areas of unresolved territorial
sovereignty,” Clinton said in comments to a regional security
summit. “The goal should be to find creative ways to provide an
endowment for future generations and to avoid unnecessary
conflict.”

China and four Asean nations have competing claims in the
South China Sea. Vietnam and the Philippines reject China’s map
of the waters as a basis for joint development.